Binder for continuous business forms



June 8, 1965 R. J. O'BRIEN ETAL 4 BINDER FOR CONTINUOUS BUSINESS FORMS Filed Oct. 29, 1962 s Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS June 8, 1965 1 R. J. OBRIEN ETAL 3,188,114

BINDER FOR CONTINUOUS BUSINESS FORMS I Filed Oct. 29, 1962 s Sheets- Sheet 2 INVENIORS J 2' ,2 53 awya'fl 717W ,1, TM

BY 45 gwau 97am ATTORNEYS Jime 8, f9??? Filed 001;. 29, 1962 R. J. O'BRIEN ETAL BINDER FOR CONTINUOUS BUSINESS FORMS I 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 BY 7k 6%; WWAZIM ATTORNEYS United States Patent BINDER FOR CONTINUOUS BUSINESS FORMS Richard J. OBrien, Niagara Falls, and Maurice Stuart Thomson, Lewiston, N.Y., assignors to Moore Business Forms, Inc., Niagara Falls, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 233,618

2 Claims. (Cl. 281-21) This invention relates to book binding, and more particularly to means and methods for binding continuous business forms in the zigzag folded packs in which they comefrom the imprinting machines or other handling 7 devices.

The general object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved binding structure for this and similar uses, and also novel methods and apparatus for effecting such binding.

It is sometimes desirable to retain lengthy reports, tabulating records, and similar products of tabulating machines, in continuous zigzag interfolded style. Since the information is in almost all cases imprinted only onone side of the paper web, no difliculty is presented in viewing the information carried by the webs by opening the folds from one side only. Thus, in order to render the handling, transport, and filing of such records more convenient, it has been proposed to bind these packs within stilt covers. The use of conventional metal post binders involving the drilling or punching of binding holes at the top edges of the packs of formshas been proposed, While other types of binders have been employed which make use of the top set of marginal punch holes in the web forming the pack at the left and right-hand sides thereof.

Some disadvantages of such methods are the loss of accessibility to the printed matter near the inside perforations and the relatively high cost of the binding.

It is also possible to pad the forms in a block as in the case of scratch pads, using any one of a variety of flexible adherent padding compositions. This is a relatively in expensive method and gives complete access to all of the form areas, but it has the critical drawbacks that it is messy and untidy in operation and definitely slows down the procedure because of the requirement that the padding composition be dried after application, usually by the use of external heat such as from infra-red lamps. Also, this method is deficient in that it does not provide for firm attachment of protective covers.

Consequently, the present invention, in its preferred embodiments, contemplates the provision of protective covers for a zigzag stack of continuous business forms and similar material, and a method of fastening the pack edges of the folded forms into a firm book-type binding. Of course, the assembly and binding of the forms can be initiated and completed in a bindery along with other types of work of this character, but not the least advantage of the present invention is the fact that the binding equipment can be furnished in the form of a kit, whereby an employee in any business office can accomplish the binding of these packs in whatever size they may occur.

Preferably one reasonably stiff cover of any suitable material such as chip board, is furnished in a size to accommodate the area of the zigzag pack of forms involved. The other cover is preferably of similar material, .but to its is previously attached an extension comprising a suitable backing sheet or fabric carrying a pressure sensitive adhesive. The exposed pressure sensitive area is protected by a sheet of non-adhesive material until ready for use. In order to bind' the pack of forms, it is placed against the second-named cover which carries the extended pressure sensitive material and then the plain first named cover is placed against the other side of the pack, the protectiveeheet removed, and the adhesive ice coated section pulled firmly around the back of the pack and over the uppermost cover. This provides firm fastening of the forms at the top folds and also adequate securement to both of the covers. Variations in thickness of the pack are accommodated by varying the degree of extension or overlap of the pressure sensitive adhesive coated areas.

The advantageous features of the present invention lie in the simplicity and convenience of the binding, the low cost, the easyand simple adjustment for thickness, the complete exposure of the open forms, and the ability to identify the bound material by inscribing a title on the backbone of the bound books.

The objects of the invention also embrace the provision of novel and improved apparatus facilitating the binding operation. Other objects and features of novelty, including the addition ofpadding material to the backbone of the volumes as, for example, foam plastic, will be apparent from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example.

. In the drawings:

7 FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a bound pack of continuous business forms folded in zigzag style, the binding being effected according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of a partially completed binding and covering device, the position of one of the covers yet to be applied being indicated in broken lines;

, FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 44 of FIGURE 1 but on a greatly enlarged scale, some of the laminations of the binding material being enlarged disproportionately for purposes of better illustrating the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view in perspective of an end portion ofa partial binding structure according to the invention, in which resilient material is used in the backing areas;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged view in end elevation of the binding of FIGURE 5; g 7

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 but illustrating the use of a wider enveloping resilient back liner;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary view in vertical section on an enlarged scale of the binding resulting from the use of the device shown in FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a vertical sectional view taken through a binding device of modified construction;

FIGURE 10 is a similar view of a further embodiment somewhat analogous to the one shown in FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 11 is a view in perspective illustrating one method of preparing the end folds of the zigzag pack for binding; and

FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of an apparatus used for facilitating the method illustrated in FIGURE 11.

In the somewhat diagrammatic view comprising FIG- URE 1 of the drawings, the zigzag folded pack of continuous business forms is indicated at 10. The front cover, which may be of chip board or any other suitable material, is shown at 11, and the back cover of similar material indicated at 12.

The pack binding assembly is indicated only diagrammatically at 15 in view ofthe smallness of the scale of FIGURE 1, but-this binding is illustrated with'greater particularity in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings and will be described in detail with reference to those figures.

It might be well to remark at this point that the binding for these forms may be furnished in partially assembled er knockeddown condition, the necessary parts he 3 ing furnished in the form of a do-it-your-s elf kit. Thus, FIGURE 3 illustrates a portion of the kit as it would be supplied for binding such continuous business forms.

One of the board covers is shown in solid lines at 12 in FIGURE 2, the relative position of the other board 11 being suggested in broken lines, this board being supplied as a separate element of the kit. Attached to the cover element 12 is the back assembly 15 which cornprises the following laminations. The outer layer of the back structure indicated at may comprise a fairly durable strip of paper such as kraft paper, and to one surface of this strip 26 there is applied a lamination 21 which constitutes a thin double-faced pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet or tape of well-known conventional construction and composition, these materials being supplied by a number of manufacturers at the present time. The right-hand portion of the combined lamination 20, 21 is pressed into firm adhering contact with the inner marginal portion of the cover board 12. For shipping and transportation purposes, the remaining area of the adhesive strip 21 is temporarily covered by a removable sheet 25 of a protective adhesive-repellant material.

Thus, the components of the kit for binding the zigzag packs consist in this embodiment of the cover 12 with its laminations 20-35 as one element and the plain cooperating cover 11.

The binding in this embodiment of the invention is effected readily as shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawings. first of all, it should be explained that the zigzag pack 10 of continuous forms is so folded that the creases or folds at the forward or opening edges 27 of the pack serve to unite adjacent sheets or forms in back-to-back relationship so that in turning the pages both sides of the double sheets are displayed. Contrariwise, at the inward or binding edge of the arrangement the end folds of the pack indicated at 28 unite the adjacent sheets in face-to-face relationship. With this method of binding, it is obvious that the backs of the zigzag form web will not be accessible, but this is immaterial since in all these cases there is no printing or other indicia on the backs of the forms.

In assembling the binding the protective sheet 25 is peeled from the face of the adhesive lamination 21 and the intermediate portion of the laminations 20, 21 applied to the end folds 28 of the pack 10. The widths of the back strips 20, 21 are selected so as to accommodate files of the thickness desired and are adjustable within certain limits to variations in the thicknesses of the packs. Thus, the excess marginal areas suggested at 34) in FIGURE 2 are folded over and adhered to the outer marginal areas of the other cover board 11 as clear- 1y indicated in FIGURE 4.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawings there is employed a liner strip of foam plastic which among other functions serves the purposes of cushioning the back of the volume and also of pressing the adhesive strip against the undulating back surface comprising the folds 28 of the zigzag pack, to attain better adhesion.

Specifically, the embodiment shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawings comprises the cover 12 and the backing assembly which is composed of the outer fabric .or paper strip 20, and the strip of spongy material such as urethane foam 31 is supplied to the central portion of the backing strip 20 as by means of the intervening layer of double-faced pressure-sensitive adhesive film 32. Then, a layer of self-supported adhesive film 33 is laid over the exposed surfaces of the sheet 20 and the foam 31. One side margin of this adhesive layer 33 is of course applied to the outer marginal portion of the cover 12 and the remaining sticky surface of the binding assembly covered by the adhesive-repellent protective layer 35.

Then in effecting the actual binding the protective layer 35 is peeled off, the adhesive covering of the foam layer 31 applied to the pack ends 28 and the remainder of the 4 assembly comprising the protruding edges of the back sheet 20 and its adhesive layer pressed into firm contact with the rear marginal portion of the other cover member 11.

The embodiment shown in FIGURES 7 and 8 employs basically the same structural ingredients as the one just described in connection with FIGURES 5 and 6 with the exception that the urethane foam layer here designated as 31A is somewhat wider than the one employed in FIG- URES 5 and 6 so that it extends around the outer surfaces of the inner edges of both cover boards 11 and 12 as clearly shown in FIGURE 8 of the drawings, this affording a better cushioning of the entire back structure of tne bound volume.

In FIGURE 9 of the drawings a modified construction is shown which includes of course the cover board 12 and the outer exposed back strip 20. However, in this case only the lateral marginal portions of the inner surface of the strip 20 are coated with adhesive as indicated at 37 and 38, the intermediate portion being left bare. A strip of thin plastic material similar to the transparent sheeting used as wrapping material, one form of which is marketed under the name Saran Wrap by the Dow Chemical Company, is employed as the means for uniting the edges of the pack. Saran is a generic term for thermoplastic resins produced by the polymerization of vinylidene ch10- ride (CH =Cl alone or with other monomers. It is more fully described in Handbook of Material Trade Names by Zimmerman and Lavine, published by Industrial Research Service, Dover, New Hampshire, in.l953. This strip of plastic, indicated by the numeral 40 in FIG- URE 9, is covered with a layer of double-faced pressuresensitive adhesive layer 41. One edge of these laminations 40, 41 is applied along an edge of a backing lamination 26 38 in adhering relationship and the inner surface of the marginal portion of the adhesive layer 41 applied to the cover 12.

For handling purposes, this assembly is provided with protective layers such as the strip 44 applied to the adhesive 37 and the strip 45 applied to the exposed portions of the adhesive area 41.

In employing this arrangement for binding zigzag strips the protective layer 45 is peeled off and the adhesive surface of the lamination 41 applied to the end edges 28 of the pack, the excess, depending upon the thickness of the pack to be bound, being brought over the edge of the other cover 11. Finally, the outer binding or backing strip 20 is brought over the cover 11, the protective layer 44 peeled off and the adhesive strip 37 pressed into firm adherence with the outer surface of the cover 11 as in the other cases described.

In the construction shown in FIGURE 10 of the drawings similar provisions are made according to the arrangement of FIGURE 9 but with the addition of the resilient material such as foam plastic which is applied to the intermediate portion of the outer backing strip 20. This foam layer is indicated at 50 and is provided on its undersurface with an adhesive film 51 which secures it to the strip 20. The other parts are similar to the embodiment shown in FIGURE 9 and are given the same reference numerals. The foam strip 50 serves the same functions in this embodiment in its cushioning effect, and also serves to press the thin plastic 40 with its adhesive surface 41 into snug relationship to the somewhat undulating surface of the zigzag pack formed by the edge folds 28 of the forms.

Before pressing the adhesive-coated back strips (whether the strip 20 as in FIGURES 1-4, the foam plastic 31 and 31A of FIGURES 5-8, or the thin plastic strips 40 of FIGURES 9 and 10) into contact with the undulating rear edges :of the zigzag pack as represented by the folds 28, it is desired that these folds be spread slightly so that the adhesive material or the thin adhesive-coated backing material may follow to some extent the undulations and obtain a firmer adhesive contact.

the inner portion of the pack overhanging the actual marginal edge 61 of the table as shown. The binding assembly including the cover 12 and the backing assembly 15 is laid upon the pack as shown and the inner adhesivecoated areas of the binding strip 15 applied to the edge folds 28 of the pack in their slightly fanned or spread formation. Then of course the other backing sheet 11 may be applied and the extended portion of the backing structure 15 securely attached thereto.

However, the present inventive concept includes the provision of novel apparatus for facilitating the binding operation while maintaining the ends of the folds 28 .in somewhat splayed or fanned-out condition for the more complete adherence of the backing assembly 15. As illustrated in FIGURE 12, a base or platform 70 is provided With depending flanged portions '71 and 72 affording legs whereby the device may be supported upon a table or other level surface. An upstanding support 75 is permanently secured as by means of the fastening elements 76 t the base 70 at one side thereof. The supporting wall 75 is provided with strengthening flanges 77 and 78 and the wall 79 thereof is inclined upwardly away from the vertical to a slight extent.

Cooperating with the fixed vertical support 75 is an adjustable vertical support 8% of similar construction, having side flanges, one of which is indicated at 8 1, and a wall 82 to which the Wall 79 of the support 75 stands at a divergent angle. The base flange 84 of the support 80 is provided with an opening through which a fastening element 85 may pass, this element being adapted to move Within the slot 86 in the base 70 and to be tightened at any point along the slot to secure the movable support 80 in a position to accommodate the thickness of a zigzag stack of forms 10.

Although the tapering of the walls 79 and 82 of the support 75 and 80 tend to fan out the end folds 28 of the pack, this effect is furthered by the fact that the sup port 80 is several inches higher than the support 79, the height of the support 80 approximating that of the width of the volume being bound, whereby the pack and also the cover 11 of the volume protrudes above the upper edge of the wall '79. The covers 11 and 12 are usually somewhat flexible but may vary in rigidity and thickness.

With the parts in the positions shown in FIGURE 12 the protective sheet 25 is removed, the adhesive surface ofthe layer 21 brought to bear upon the end folds 28 of the pack and preferably rubbed into close contact with the rounded edges of these folds. The extending edges 'of the backing laminations 20, 21 are then brought down 6 of FIGURE 12, for the business office itself to efliciently accomplish the binding of these forms without having to send them to a professional binder.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the embodiments illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A bound volume of continuous folded forms comprising a pack of zigzag folded forms, the front edge portion of the pack comprising alternate adjacent thicknesses connected by folds to lie back-to-back with intelligence conveying sides outward, the back edge portion of the pack comprising alternate adjacent thicknesses connected by oppositely turned folds to lie face-to-face; cover boards each adapted to confine one of the end faces of said zigzag pack of forms; a flexible back binding structure connecting said cover boards at the back of the volume and securing the folds comprising the back edge of the pack; said binding structure comprising an inner lamination comprising a thin pliable film of plastic material coated with a layer of adhesive material on its inner side, said film being somewhat wider than the width of the back edge of the pack and conforming to the undulations of the folds of the pack edge, and adhering to said edge and marginally to the rearward portions of the outer surface of the cover boards; and an outer lamination comprising an outer layer of tough paper, separate doublefaced adhesive strips secured to the inner surfaces of the respective lateral margins of said outer layer of tough paper, whereby said lateral margins are adhesively secured to the rearward margins of the outer surfaces of the cover boards, but the intermediate areas of both the inand securely adhered to the outer surface of the edge of the cover 11. 4

Thus, the present invention provides not only several embodiments of backing assemblies for effectively binding zigzag form packs but makes it possible, through the provision of binding kits and the supplemental apparatus ner and outer laminations are free of adhesion to each other.

2. The bound volume of continuous folded forms as set forth in claim 1 in which a strip of resilient foam plastic is interposed between said laminations and adhesively secured to the inner surface of the intermediate portion of the outer lamination.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 651,713 6/00 Hurlbut et al 281-21 X 1,053,464 2/13 Young 129-1 1,306,691 6/19 Goetz 281-15 X 1,354,061 9/20 Palmer 1l-1 1,709,618 4/29 Howard 281-21 2,182,801 12/39 Frazier 281-2l 2,544,568 3/51 Shepherd 28115 3,048,425 8/62 Fleishmann 282--19 3,059,946 10/62 Paddack 28l29 JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Examiner. 

1. A BOUND VOLUME OF CONTINUOUS FOLDED FORMS COMPRISING A PACK OF ZIGZAG FOLDED FORMS, THE FRONT EDGE PORTION OF THE PACK COMPRISING ALTERNATE ADJACENT THICKNESSES CONNECTED BY FOLDS TO LIE BACK-TO-BACK WITH INTELLIGENCE CONVEYING SIDES OUTWARD, THE BACK EDGE PORTION OF THE PACK COMPRISING ALTERNATE ADJACENT THICKNESSES CONNECTED BY OPPOSITELY TURNED FOLDS TO LIE FACE-TO-FACE; COVER BOARDS EACH ADAPTED TO CONFINE ONE OF THE ENDS FACES OF SAID ZIGZAG PACK OF FORMS; A FLEXIBLE BACK BINDING STRUCTURE CONNECTING SAID COVER BOARDS AT THE BACK OF THE VOLUME AND SECURING THE FOLDS COMPRISING THE BACK EDGE OF THE PACK; SAID BINDING STRUCTURE COMPRISING AN INNER LAMINATION COMPRISING A THIN PLIABLE FILM OF PLASTIC MATERIAL COATED WITH A LAYER OF ADHESIVE MATERIAL ON ITS INNER SIDE, SAID FILM BEING SOMEWHAT WIDER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE BACK EDGE OF THE PACK AND CONFORMING TO THE UNDULATIONS OF THE FOLDS OF THE PACK EDGE, AND ADHERING TO SAID EDGE AND MARGINALLY TO THE REARWARD PORTINS OF THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE COVER BOARDS; AND AN OUTER LAMINATION COMPRISING AN OUTER LAYER OF TOUGH PAPER, SEPARATE DOUBLEFACED ADHESIVE STRIPS SECURED TO THE INNER SURFACES OF THE RESPECTIVE LATERAL MARGINS OF SAID OUTER LAYER OF TOUGHT PAPER, WHEREBY SAID LATERAL MARGINS ARE ADHESIVELY SECURED TO THE REARWARD MARGINS OF THE OUTER SURFACES OF THE COVER BOARDS, BUT THE INTERMEDIATE AREAS OF BOTH THE INNER AND OUTER LAMINATION ARE FREE OF ADHESION TO EACH OTHER. 